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Home / Improve Your Lecturing / What makes a good lecturer?
WHAT MAKES A GOOD LECTURER?
What makes a good lecturer?
There is a certain amount of mythology about lecturing, one of the most persistent
myths being that some people are born with an extraordinary flair for lecturing and if
you are not one of the fortunate few, then perhaps the best you can hope for is to get
through the material youve prepared with little drama and few problems. Of course
some people are more outgoing and comfortable presenting to groups than others,
but the desired outcome of a lecture is that people learn, not that they are
entertained.
You might look for more of a performance if you are presenting at a conference or
symposium, so as to engage the audience and make the talk memorable.
Effective lecturing is more a matter of skill than charisma, although there are some
techniques that can help to make your lectures more enjoyable for those in the
audience.
The main characteristics of a good lecturer are that they:
present the material in a clear and logical sequence
make the material accessible, intelligible and meaningful
cover the subject matter adequately
are constructive and helpful in their criticism
demonstrate an expert (and authoritarian) knowledge in their subject
pace the lecture appropriately
include material not readily accessible in textbooks
are concise
illustrate the practical applications of the theory presented
show enthusiasm for the subject
generate curiosity about the lecture material early in the lecture.

A good lecturer presents the audience with opportunities for meaningful engagement with the subject material
and with their lecturer.

Another persistent myth about lecturing is that as long as the material is interesting it will be sufficient to attract and hold the
audiences attention. As lecturer, you may judge it to be fascinating, but even highly motivated learners need more than
interesting material. An effective lecture should present information that the audience could not learn from simply reading up on
the subject of the lecture. And a presentation at a conference or workshop should also stimulate the audience to find out more or
to introduce some new research or perspective.
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About e-learning
Appraisal
Assessing Educational Needs
Assuring and Maintaining Quality in
Clinical Education
Careers Support
Diversity, Equal Opportunities and
Human Rights
E-Learning in Clinical Teaching
Facilitating Learning in the Workplace
How to Give Feedback
Improve Your Lecturing
What is lecturing?
Why lecture?
Large group teaching
What makes a good lecturer?
Delivery
Aims and learning outcomes
How to make your lecture a success
Structure
Content
Audiovisual aids
Lecture notes - scripts or prompts?
Handouts
Top tips for a tip-top lecture
How to encourage active learning
To sum up
Interprofessional Education
Introduction to Educational Research
Involving Patients in Clinical Teaching
Managing the Trainee in Difficulty
Setting Learning Objectives
Small Group Teaching
Structured Assessments of Clinical
Competence
Supervision
Teaching Clinical Skills
Using Simulation in Clinical Education
Workplace Based Assessment
Performance in Practice
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